The Tardis's Gift
by DWlover
Summary: Takes place after Journeys End, the TARDIS takes the doctor on one final trip.


**A/N This is my first fanfiction so... don't be harsh :P Takes place at the end of 'Journeys End'**

The Doctor stood in the middle of the TARDIS, staring at its blue, wooden doors; a vacant look spread across his face. Beyond those doors he had nothing. Rose was gone, this time it was forever. The void between their worlds was now sealed, they would never meet again. This was their final goodbye. Besides, Rose had no need for him anymore anyway, she had the metacrisis. The new him. The Doctor sorrowfully sighs at the memory of Rose and the metacrisis kissing at Bad Wolf Bay. It was all Rose could ever want, a version of the Doctor whom was not frightened of the obvious connection they had, who would not keep running from the love they all too clearly shared. But the Doctor never got a chance to express his feelings to Rose; maybe this was how it was meant to be. This… metacrisis, he was human, or at least human enough for them to live a happy life on Earth. They could grow old together; this was one thing the Doctor could never give Rose. Rose would die one day, as all humans do, but the doctor could go on living for thousands of years. The metacrisis could give Rose everything she wanted, everything the Doctor couldn't give her.

So many people gone, the Doctor thinks to himself. Sarah-Jane, she has her son Luke to look after now. And K9. And she was so very happy. No room for the Doctor in her life. Martha has her family, who she couldn't bear to leave again. She wasn't going to spend her life swimming in the Doctors wake; never being truly noticed by him as anything more than 'just another companion.' And Donna, oh Donna, the Doctor thought. She would go on to live a fantastic life, he was sure of it. The DoctorDonna. But he could never see her again, for her own safety. For that would mean losing someone else he loved. The Doctor cannot be with anyone forever, they always get left behind somewhere along the line. And this is what makes the loneliest man in the universe.

The Doctor steps up to the console and starts turning a few dials, pressing and pulling all of the many parts used to control the TARDIS, setting it to random. He wanted to get away; far, far away. As far from Earth as he could get. There were too many memories there. Too many unsolved emotions. As the console begins making its in flight whooshing sound the Doctor simply sits down on the old, tattered chair by the TARDIS console. All of the life, flare and energy has drained out of him. He no longer cares; he just wants to move on. It was time for him to start again, forget about the past. Forget about Donna, Martha, Sarah-Jane… Rose. Forget about all of the wonderful memories, the strong emotions. The love.

The TARDIS makes a small thump and the console whooshing stops, leaving everything eerily quiet. They had reached their destination, he could be anywhere. In all of time and space. The Doctor hops out of the chair, seemingly a bit heartier, and grabs his coat from one of the coral-resembling pillars before striding towards the doors. A new beginning. He pulls open the doors and lets out a shocked gasp as he is bathed in orange light.

"The sky's a burnt orange, with a citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that the mountains go on forever, slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow." Gallifrey, the home planet of the time lords. This was how the Doctor described it to Martha, and this is what his eyes were gazing upon now. Memories of it were flooding back into his mind, this was amazing, the most amazing thing he could imagine. It was beautiful. A look of utter joy spreads across the Doctors face, this was the happiest he had been in a very long time. All of his sadness was forgotten, all of the people he had left behind. He thinks of the Time Lords out there. He could go see his family. One last adventure on his home world. The temptation was all too strong, he wanted to run away, up into the endless mountains, and stay here forever. But no. The doctor knew they had to leave soon, he could already feel the TARDIS anxiously waiting for him to return inside. The TARDIS had forced open the barriers of time and space so the Doctor could have one last look at home, and he could ask for nothing more. After one last glance up at the orange sky, one last deep breath of Gallifreyan air, the doctor returns into the TARDIS and closes the doors. Immediately the TARDIS starts it's whooshing, repairing the barriers of time and space and leaving this world for good. The Doctor looks up to the TARDIS console. "Thank you," he whispers.


End file.
